Turn setbacks into motivation

Everyone has setbacks in life and in business, it goes with the territory. I can’t think of a single entrepreneur I have met throughout my own personal journey who hasn’t had to deal with setbacks of varying magnitudes over the years, and that goes for me too. It’s how we build our resilience and how we deal with those setbacks that matters. When I experience a setback and something doesn’t go according to plan, Richard Branson’s words always come into my head - he says, “A setback is never a bad experience, just a learning curve.” How true that is, but it doesn’t mean it is not really tough to go through at the time - it can be energy sapping, emotional, stressful and anxiety filled. How we learn and bounce back from these setbacks is what is important, and as strange as it may seem, usually something positive can be pulled from any negative situation. Personally, I use a setback as motivation and it gives me the energy I need to power me through to finding a solution. Also, I make myself think ‘out of the box’ to find a different way to achieve the end goal. I have gained the wisdom over the years to really take the time to learn from any setbacks, to really question what I could have done differently or how I could have dealt with a challenge better in order to obtain a better outcome. My setbacks in life and in business over the years have definitely helped to shape my character. They have encouraged me to try and find the positive in every situation, and importantly to keep some perspective on where that setback fits into my overall life plan. Perhaps that’s one of the benefits that comes with years of life and business experience.

Have yourself an inspired entrepreneurial day! — Melanie